Conflict Sensitive Reconstruction Project Presented in Vienna

Sarvodaya will reconstruct 250 houses, support the reconstruction of a district hospital, a multi-purpose community center, a pre-school and children playground, a mosque, as well as a vocational training center, in the Muslim village of Ninthavur in the Ampara district. These activities will be funded by Kurier Aid Austria. The independent, non profit, non partisan association administers the donations collected by a campaign of the Austrian daily newspaper Kurier. Sarvodaya and Kurier Aid Austria, which started already the reconstruction of two villages in the Southern districts of Galle and Matare, also agreed on a cooperation concerning these two villages. On Monday, April 18, Kurier Aid Austria presented its engagement to its donors, which showed lively interest in the activities.

Appr. 200 people followed the presentation, which was moderated by the publisher of Kurier, Mr. Peter Rabl. Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne introduced the Sarvodaya approach to the project and the Sri Lankan Ambassador Mrs.Aruni Wijewardene, who also attended the presentation, thanked Austria for its solidarity.

The reconstruction of Ninthavur is part of the conflict sensitive reconstruction project, which Sarvodaya, in cooperation with the Institute for Integrative Conflict Transformation and Peace-building (IICP) and the Austrian Study Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution (ASPR), elaborated. It also envisages the reconstruction of a Sinhalese and a Tamil village in the Eastern provinces and an inter-ethnic community center in Trincomalee. The director of IICP Gudrun Kramer and her partner Dr. Wilfried Graf from the ASPR have been related with Sarvodaya for several years.